Fastener-applying device



Jan. 27, 1942. J. M. GAMBAo 2,271,479

FASTENERAPPLYING DEVICE Filled Jan. 23, 1940 Patented Jan. 27, 1942 FASTENER-APPLYING DEVICE Joseph M. Gambao, East Greenwich, R. I., assignor to Boston Wire Stitcher Company, War- Wick, R. I., a corporation of Maine Application January 23, 1940, serial No. 315,197

9 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in fastener-applying devices adapted for attaching papers and other sheets, securing tags and labels to articles of commerce and for use generally in fastening or stitching together various objects and articles. FIn the art of stapling and stitching with metal fasteners it is the usual practice to clinch the legs of the fasteners inwardly toward each other to produce a permanent stitch.` It is sometimes desirable, however, to form a temporary stitch similar to that made with a common pin by deflecting the legs of the fasteners outwardly away from each other. With an implement of the type illustrated and described in United States Letters Patent to Arthur H. Maynard et al., No. 2,181,904, for a Fastener-applying device, issued December 5, 1939, the legs of a fastener may be rocked into parallel relation to its crossbar without deformation intermediate their ends to provide a flat pinstitch. Such a pin-stitch may be easily withdrawn. With an implement of the type illustrated and described in United States Letters Patent to John F. Cavanagh, No. 2,096,371, for a Fastener-applying device, issued October 19, 1937, the legs of the fastener are continuously deformed during kthe driving of the fastener to produce a temporary stitch having curled ends. Such a stitch holds better than a at pin-stitch but may be withdrawn from the work.

One-of the objects of the present invention is to provide a fastener-applying implement of the type indicated adapted to produce either a permanent stitch or a temporary pin-stitch.

Another object of the invention is to provide an implement of the type indicated adapted to produce a temporary stitch either of the flatpinstitch type or one having curled ends.

Another object of the invention is to provide an implement of the type indicatedhaving an adjustable slide to control the relative rocking and deformation of the legs of the fasteners being driven.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an implement of the type indicated which is of simple and compact construction to adapt it for economical manufacture and efficient in its operation to perform its intended functions.

Further objects of the invention are set forth in the following specification which describes one form of construction of the implement, by way of example, as illustrated by the accompanying drawing. .In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a fastenerclincher-grooves applying implement incorporating the novel features of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the forward portion of the fastener-applying implement showing the anvil adjusted to aline the driven fastener with the forward set of clinchergrooves and the slide for controlling the relative rocking and deformation of the legs of the fastener in its uppermost position;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional View taken on line 3-3 of Fig, 2 showing the legs of the driven fastener rocked to substantially parallel relationship with respect to its crossbar to provide a flat pin-stitch;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 indicating the rocking movement of the fastener-legs with respect to the crossbar without deformation intermediate their ends;

' Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the slide for controlling the relative rocking and deformation of the legs of a fastener adjusted to its intermediate position;

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken on kline E--i of Fig. 5 showing the legs of the driven fastener partially deformed and rocked with respect to the crossbar to provide a stitch having curled ends; p

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 showing the ends of the fastener-legs restrained by the slide at the beginning of a fastener-applying operation to cause them to be partiallyfdeformed intermediate their ends;

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the slide adjusted to its lowermost position and the clincher-anvil adjusted to aline the legs of the driven fastener with the rearward set of clinchergrooves to deflect the legs other to provide a permanent stitch;

Fig. 9 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 9-9 of Fig. 8 showing the legs of the fastener restrained throughout a fastener-applying operation to cause them to be continuously deformed;

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the gate and slide elements shown with the parts in disassembled relationship; and

Fig. 11 is a composite view of the various types of stitches produced by the present improved fastener-applying implement.

The present invention relates generally to a fastener-applying implement having a magazinearm formed with a transverse slot through which the fasteners are driven and a base having an adjustable anvil provided with separate sets of for producing either a teminwardly toward each porary or permanent stitch. A slide mounted on the front wall of the magazine-arm has rearwardly extending wings overlying the sides of the slot and is adapted to be adjusted to one or the other of a plurality of positions thereon. Thus, the rearwardly extending wings on the slide in the different positions of adjustment of the latter control the relative rocking and deformation of the legs of the fastener to cause the legs to be continuously deformed by the clinoher-grooves as they are driven into the work; to cause a partial deformation and rocking of the legs; or to cause the legs to be rocked without any deformation intermediate their ends.

Although the improvements of the present invention may be applied to any type of fastenerapplying implement, in the preferred form as herein illustrated the invention is embodied in a fastener-applying implement for driving and clinching U-haped wire staples of the type shown and described in United States Letters Patent to Arthur H. Maynard, No. 2,037,334, issued April 14, 1936. Suffice it to state herein that the implement comprises a base 2, a stapling-arm 3 pivotally mounted on the base, and an actuating lever 4 pivotally mounted on the arm and connected to operate a staple-driver 5. Fastened to the top-plate 6 of the base 2 adjacent its rearward end is a hinge-block or mounting 8 for the stapling-arm 3 which is constituted as a hollow magazine for the staples s. The stapling-arm 3 is pivotally mounted on a pin 9 carried by rearwardly extending ears on the hinge-block 8 with its ends projecting laterally through the depending sides of anv inverted U-shaped member I I attached to the bottom of the arm. The sides of the member I I also overlie the sides of the hingeblock 8 on the base 2 to prevent lateral twisting of the arm 3 with respect to the base.

Slidably mounted on the top-plate 6 of the base 2 adjacent its forward end is an anvil I5 having separate sets of clinching-grooves I and I'I. The anvil I5 embodies a flat plate which overlies the top-plate 5 of the base 2 with a depending section i8 projecting into a slot I9 in the top-plate. The anvil 5 is yieldingly held against the top-plate 6 of the base 2 by means of a leaf-spring 2|) clamped against its depending section I8 by means of a screw 2l and bearing against the bottom of the top-plate. slot 22 which, together with the end of the spring, provide spaced shoulders 23 and 24 adapted to cooperate with the beveled sides of a depending detent 25 on the base 2 to yieldingly retain the anvil in either one or the other of its two positions with its ends underlying the ends of the slot I9 in the top-plate 6 of the base.

The clincher-grooves I6 and |'I are in the form of slots milled or stamped into the top face of the anvil I5 and the two separate sets are spaced longitudinally thereof. The bottoms of the clincher-grooves I 6 are continuously curved from the top face of the anvil at their outer ends inwardly toward each other to terminate in a common apex 26, this form being used to eiTect a permanent stitch. The clincher-grooves I I, on the other hand, are adapted to form a temporary pin-stitch by being arranged in spaced relationship with their inner ends spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the distance between the staple-legs. The bottoms of the clincher-grooves Il are continuously curved from the top face' of the anvil at their inner ends and extend laterally outwardly to terminate at the top face of the anvil at their outer ends.

The leaf-spring 23 is formed with a The stapling-arm 3 comprises a channelshaped member 3U having an inverted channelshaped core 3| secured therein for supporting U-shaped staples s straddled thereacross. The forward end of the core 3| projects beyond the forward end of the member and is provided with outwardly-offset depending side flanges 32 having laterally-projecting lugs 33 thereon. A longitudinally-extending member 34 is supported by the side walls of the member 3|] overlying the core 3| to hold the staples in place thereon. A1- though the forward end of the stapling-arm 3 may have a permanently closed front end, as herein illustrated it is closed by a U-shaped gate 35 having a iront wall 35 which cooperates with the end of the core 3| to provide a throat 3'I therebetween and side walls 38 which overlie the sides of the core 3| with notches 39 formed therein for engagement with the lugs 33 thereon. In accordance with the present invention the side walls 38 of the gate 35 terminate short of the lower end of the front wall 36 to provide a transverse open-sided slot at the lower end of the throat 37. In other words, the lower end of the front wall 35 of the gate 35 depends below the side walls 38 whereby the gate provides no covering for the side of the throat 3'I below the side walls.

The gate 35 is pivotally mounted on the member 34 by means of a pin 4| which extends transversely through oval slots 42 in the side walls of the member with its ends secured to the side walls 38 of the gate. Thus, the pin 4| may pivot on the member 34 to permit the front wall 36 of the gate 35 to be moved away from the end of the core 3| to open the magazine in the arm 3. Normally, the gate 35 is held in closed position as illustrated in Fig. 1 by the engagement of the notches 39 in its side Walls 38 with the lugs 33 on the depending flanges 32 of the core 3|, a suitable spring 43 bearing against the pivot-pin 4| yieldingly retaining the notches in engagement with the lugs 33. The staples s in the magazine of the arm 3 are advanced along the core 3| toward the throat 31 by means of a pusher 44 operated by a spring 45 connected thereto.

The staple-driver 5 is mounted to reciprocate in the throat 31 `at the forward end of the arm 3 and is operated by the lever 4. The lever 4 is of inverted channel-shape having opposite sides overlying the sides of the arm 3 land a front wall 5| overlying the forward end of the arm. The lever 4 is pivotally mounted on the arm 3 by means of a pin 52 extending transversely through the sides of the member 34 and the sides of the lever. Mounted on the inside face of the front Wall 5| of the lever 4 is a block 53 having a tongue 54 which extends rearwardly through a suitable opening in the driver 5 to connect the lever thereto. Suitable springs 55 and 56 are provided :for holding the arm 3 raised with respect to the base 2 and the lever 4 raised with respect to the arm 3. As thus far described the fastener-applying implement is substantially identical with that illustrated and described in the Maynard Patent, No. 2,037,334, referred to above, except for the specific construction of the clincher-anvil I5 on the .base 2 and the form of the gate 35 on the arm 3 to provide the transverse slot 40 `at the lower end of the throat 31. Due to this last-mentioned form of construction the legs of a staple s driven through the throat 31 are free to move laterally at the lower end thereof.

In accordance with the present invention means are provided for controlling the relative spreading or rocking and deformation or curling of the legs of the driven staples s by the clinchergrooves I-6 or I1 in the anvil I5. This means 'as herein illustrated is in the form of a slide 60 mounted on the front wall 36 of the gate 35 and having rearwardly extending wings 6l and 62 overlying the sides of the slot 40 at the lower end of the throat 31. The wings 6l and 62 are of a width less than the length of the slot 40 and by adjusting the position of the slide 60 the wings yare adaptedto cover the sides of the slot at its upper end as illustrated in Figs. 2 to 4; intermediate its ends as illustrated in Figs. 5 to '1; or at its lower end as illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9.

As illustrated in detail in Fig. the slide 6B has a centrally located oval slot 63 and laterally projecting lugs or finger-pieces 64 and 65 at the top. The slide 6|] is mounted on the front wall 36 of the gate 35 by means of aheaded stud 66 riveted to and projecting from the latter through the oval slot 63 in the slide. A saucer-shaped spring-disk 61 is mounted between the head 68 of the stud and the front face of the slide to yieldingly press the latter against the front wall of the gate. The slide 66 has la rearwardly-projecting beveled tooth 69 positioned above the oval slot 63 and adapted to cooperate with a series of beveled teeth 10 on the front wall 36 of the gate 35. Thus, the slide 6l) is adjustable to any of the three positions illustrated in Figs. 2, 5 and 8 and is yieldingly held in its adjusted position by the spring-pressed engagement of the tooth 69 on the slide with a corresponding tooth 10 on the front wall 36 of the gate 35. One form of the invention having now been described in detail its mode of operation is explained as follows:

The implement is prepared for a staple-applying operation by sliding the gate upwardly and then rocking it on its pivot-pin 4I to open the forward end of the magazine in the 'arm 3. A supply of staples s, preferably in the form of a stick or rell, is slid rearwardly onto the core 3| against the action of the pusher 44, the spring yielding for this purpose. After the magazine has been supplied with staples the gate 35 is swung to its closed position to engage the notches 39 in its side walls 38 with the lugs 33 on the core 3| to close the end of the arm. The staples s are automatically fed forwardly by the pusher 44 under the action of the spring 45 to position the foremost staple in the throat 31.

The implement is then operated in the usual manner by rocking the arm 3 toward the base 2 to engage its forward end against the work w positioned on the anvil I5 and the lever 4 is rocked with respect to the arm to reciprocate the staple-driver 5 through the throat 31.

If a temporary stitch is to be formed the anvil I5 is slid rearwardly to position the clinchergrooves I1 in alinement with the legs of the driven staple s, the end of the leaf-spring 2l) yielding and sliding over the detent k25 and the shoulder 23 at the end of the spring thereafter cooperating with the beveled side of the detent to hold the anvil in iiXed position. If a flat pinstitch of the type indicated at a in Fig. 1l is desired the slide 65 is slid to its uppermost position onthe gate 35 as illustrated in Figs. 2 to 4. With this position of the slide its rearwardly extending wings 6I and 62 overlie the sides of the slot 46 adjacent the side walls 38 of the gate 35 to provide relatively long side openings at the lower end of `the throat 31. Consequently, the legs of a driven staple s will not be supported against lateral displacement and the curved bottoms of the clincher-grooves I1 will act as cams to rock the legs into parallel relation to the crossbar without any deformation intermediate their ends to form a flat pin-stitch as indicated at a in Fig. 11.

If a temporary stitch having curled ends of the type indicated at b in Fig. 11 is desired the slide 6I) is moved to the intermediate position illustrated in Figs. 5 to '1. To accomplish this adjustment the slide 66 is rocked against the action of the spring 61 to disengage its tooth 69 from the upper tooth 1I) on the gate 35 and then slid downwardly to engage the tooth 69 with the next adjacent tooth 10. 'I'he legs of the driven staple s willthen be partially supported by the rearwardly extending wings 6I and 62 on the slide 6|] in this latter position of the slide to cause the legs of the staple to be simultaneously deformed and rocked by the clincher-grooves I1 to form a temporary stitch having partially curved ends as indicated at bL in Fig. 11.

With the slide 60 moved to its lowermost position illustrated in Fig. 9 the legs of the fastener will be supported against lateral displacement causing the clincher-grooves I1 to curl the ends of the staple s to form a stitch of the type indicated at c in Fig. 11.

If a permanent stitch is to be formed the clincher-anvil I5 is slid forwardly on the base 2 to aline the clincher-grooves I6 with the throat 31 in the stapling-arm 3. The legs of the driven staple s will then be supported against lateral movement so that the clincher-grooves I6 will act to clinch the legs inwardly toward each other in the usual manner to form a permanent stitch as indicated at d in Fig. 11.

It will be observed from the foregoing description that the present invention provides an implement in which the relative rocking and defor` mation of the legs of a fastener may be controlled to provide a plurality of forms of temporary stitches or a permanent stitch of usual type. It

will also be observed that the present invention provides an adjustable means for controlling the relative rocking and deformation of the legs of the fastener which is of simple and compact construction to adapt it for economical manufacture.

While the device is herein illustrated as embodied in a preferred form of construction, it is to be understoodthat modifications may be made in the structure and arrangement of its parts without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. For example, the slide for controlling the relative rocking and deformation of the legs of the staples may be applied to any type of stapling-arm and any other suitable type of anvil could be used. Therefore, without limiting myself in this respect, I claim:

1. In a device of the type specified, the combination of clincher-means, fastener-applying means adapted to cooperate with the clincher-.

means, and means adjustable on the fastenerapplying means to control the relative rocking and deformation of the legs of a driven fastener by the clincher-means whereby to selectively produce either a flat stitch or a stitch having'curled ends.

2. In a fastener-applying implement, an anvil having spaced clincher-means for defiecting the legs of a fastener outwardly to form a temporary stitch, fastener-applying means adapted to cooperate with the clincher-means, and means adjustable on the fastener-applying means for controlling the relative rocking and deformation of the legs of a driven fastener by the clinchermeans whereby to selectively produce either a flat pin-stitch or a stitch having curled ends.

3. In a fastener-applying implement, an anvil having spaced clincher-grooves thereon with curved bottom faces for deflecting the legs of a fastener outwardly to form a temporary stitch, fastener-applying means adapted to cooperate with the clincher-grooves, said fastener-applying means having a slot through which the fasteners are driven, and means overlying the sides of the slot in the fastener-applying means and adjustable thereon to control the relative rocking and deformation of the legs of a driven fastener by the clincher-grooves whereby to selectively produce either a at pin-stitch or a stitch having curled ends.

4. In a fastener-applying implement, an anvil having spaced clincher-means for deflecting the legs of a staple laterally to form a temporary stitch, a stapling-arm mounted for movement toward and away from the anvil and having a transverse slot through which the staples are driven, a staple-driver for driving staples through the slot in the stapling-arm to engage the ends of their legs with the clincher-means, and a slide adjustable on the stapling-arm and having means overlying portions of the sides of the slot to control the relative rocking and deformation of the legs of a driven staple by the clincher-means to selectively produce either a flat pin-stitch or a stitch having curled ends.

5. In a fastener-applying implement, an anvil having spaced clincher-grooves for deflecting the legs of a staple laterally to form a temporary stitch, a stapling-arm mounted for movement toward and away from the anvil, said staplingarm having a transverse slot at its forward end through which the staples are driven to engage the ends of their legs with the clincher-grooves, and a U-shaped slide embracing the front and sides of the stapling-arm and adjustable thereon to cover different portions of the sides of the slot.

6. In a fastener-applying implement, an anvil having spaced clincher-grooves for deflecting the legs of a staple laterally to form a temporary stitch, a stapling-arm mounted for movement toward and away from the anvil, said staplingarm having a transverse slot at its forward end through which the staples are driven to engage the ends of their legs with the clinchergrooves, a U-shaped slide mounted on the stapling-arm embracing the front and sides thereof, and cooperating detents on the slide and stapling-arm for retaining the slide in one or the other of a plurality of positions of adjustment to cover different portions of the sides of the slot.

7. In a fastener-applying implement, an anvil having spaced clincher-grooves for delecting the legs of a staple laterally to form a temporary stitch, a stapling-arm mounted for movement toward and away from the anvil, said staplingarm having a transverse slot at its forward end through which the staples are driven to engage the ends of their legs with the clincher-grooves, a staple-driver reciprocable in said slot, a slide mounted on the front wall of the stapling-arm and having rearwardly extending wings overlying the sides of the slot therein, and cooperating detents on the slide and stapling-arm for holding the slide in one or the other of a plurality of positions of adjustment.

8. In a fastener-applying implement, an anvil having spaced clincher-grooves for deflecting the legs of a staple laterally to form a temporary stitch, a stapling-arm mounted for movement toward and away from the anvil, said staplingarm having a core on which the staples are supported in straddled relationship, a movable gate mounted on the forward end -of the staplingarm and having a front Wall cooperating With the end of the core to provide a slot through which the staples are driven, a staple-driver reciprocable in said slot to drive the staples to engage the ends of their legs with the clinchergrooves, and a slide on the front Wall of the gate and having portions overlying the sides of the slot, said slide being adjustable on the gate to cover different portions of the sides of the slot.

9. InA a fastener-applying implement, a base, an anvil slidab-le on said base and having longitudinally spaced sets of clincher-grooves for forming either a temporary or a permanent stitch, la stapling-arm mounted on said base for movement toward and away from the latter and having a slot through which the staples are driven, a driver reciprocable in the slot for driving staples from the stapling-arm to engage the ends of their legs with one or the other of the sets of clincher-grooves, and a slide on the front Wall of the stapling-arm overlying the sides of the slot therein, said slide being adjustable on the stapling-arm to cover different portions of the sides of the slot.

JOSEPH M. GAMBAO. 

